It was not until the 17th century that we began to use surnames in Sweden, according to Institute of Language and Population. Since then, many of the surnames have been hereditary and have gone for several generations, while a lot of new surnames have arisen. Here you can read about the ten most common surnames 2024 and what the names have in common.
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10 most common surnames 2024
Andersson, 217 631 pieces.
Johansson, 215,841 pieces.
Karlsson, 160,720 pieces.
Nilsson, 149 635 pieces.
Eriksson, 121,053 pieces.
Larsson, 110 848 pieces.
Olsson, 93 203 pieces.
Persson, 92,897 pieces.
Svensson, 86,736 pieces.
Gustafsson, 62,887 pieces.
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The common denominator: son
On the list we can see a common denominator, namely that all the surnames end on son. When the first surnames were created, it was common to take their father’s name and then add son or daughter at the end. These names were among the first Swedish surnames and have since been for many generations. Andersson has been one of the most common surnames in Sweden since its inception. For a period, 5 percent of all Stockholmers were called Andersson in surname.
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Even surnames go in trends
Statistics from The statistical authority Shows that even surnames go in trends. Initially, names that ended on son or daughter were common. After a while, the Swedish Tax Agency and Statistics Sweden encouraged name changes in order to keep better registers. Another reason was that it became increasingly important to be able to show who you were to be able to take out pension and other benefits, for example. It simply made it easier to have a slightly more unusual last name.
A trend that arose and remains among our last names than today is the surname that is linked to nature. Names that start or end on mountains, stone or twig are you surely familiar with.
Source: The Swedish Tax Agency
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